Bernard Schoenbaum: Elder Statesman?

A cartoon by Bernard Schoenbaum set in a doctor's office was published in The New Yorker issue of August 7, 1995.

"The Presidency? By all means, go for it!"
Bernard Schoenbaum
Original art
The New Yorker, August 7, 1995, p 67

One wonders why Schoenbaum is mocking the political ambitions of the elderly patient, whom he depicts unflatteringly, aged and pot-bellied, wearing only his drawers and socks. This is no doubt a dig at Bob Dole, who was eventually to receive the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 at age seventy-three, running against the incumbent Bill Clinton, who would be a relatively spry fifty.

It is strange that The New Yorker's style guide insists on capitalizing the word presidency.

Bernard Schoenbaum
eBay listing ended May 24, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/276746401667?_skw=bernad+Yorker&itmmeta=01K21291F6BPNQRHHNG9P1N6EJ&hash=item406f5ef783:g:Sk8AAOSw2qxnQWDR&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1c%2B9yqTT6eahwqA49CUFvT6dRJSeL%2F3gAl4JDJV9Xaa8YNYp9a%2FfmFUIRlZ7323AqPGWtlzDWVsJRZe%2FV0z6QyCtor3zCb%2Bd

xNvX0m6%2BjMCytJS1C7NU%2BdBRuxiwZodLIpkAApTUVzceMOpNhOkF1ONNWQ%2FCZOO2EvMIBj9kptbRlOZO%2FPHm1mOUVZ4z64MZJHusZf7r5MnBLKw%2BTln%2FW%2BBffOzXw2luD1HkkU8FoRKExGbJA2B9l7rgPa3UKz7fzX%2BOkb5Ewr36dFk%2FHwlqu8cCW%2F%2BUWsaSpRmVgiXKdiC8w%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5yYpKKQZg

Bernard Schoenbaum
eBay item description

"The Presidency? By all means, go for it!"
Bernard Schoenbaum
The New Yorker, August 7, 1995, p 67

"The Presidency? By all means, go for it!"
Bernard Schoenbaum
Original art
The New Yorker, August 7, 1995, p 67

With cartoons by Edward Frascino and Bernard Schoenbaum

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1995-08-07/flipbook/066/

* * *

The cartoon sitting on the opposite page of The New Yorker, by Edward Frascino, takes us to the other end of the age spectrum.

Jack and Jennifer
Edward Frascino
The New Yorker, August 7, 1995, p 66

Note:  I'm still young enough either to run for president or to post images of original art by Bernard Schoenbaum. Please support my efforts by sending campaign contributions or images of your Schoenbaum art.

05025

My Copy of All the Presidents by Drew Friedman

Caricaturist Drew Friedman's new opus includes, as the title says, All the Presidents and more. My prized copy of the inspired book is signed and inscribed by the artist:

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Drew Friedman

Presidents

Kurt Andersen

Attempted Bloggery's Executive Index

03062

Drew Friedman: All the Presidents

A new volume of portraits by illustrator and caricaturist Drew Friedman has just been released. As the book cover indicates, All the Presidents contains thoughtful, telling portraits of each of America's forty-four presidents. (NB: There are forty-five presidencies because Grover Cleveland served as the 22nd and 24th president.)

Drew Friedman
All the Presidents (2019)

http://www.fantagraphics.com/all-the-presidents/

The book's publication is being celebrated tonight in Strand Bookstore's Rare Book Room.  (The entrance is on Broadway at 12th Street.) Mr. Friedman will be there in conversation with comedian Robert Klein. The ticket price includes a copy of the book, and there will be a signing immediately following the conversation.

The book goes by the numbers, beginning with George Washington. It's strange to see a president with no party affiliation. How long do you suppose that would last? The two-party system, remember, is not a part of our written Constitution.

Drew Friedman
1:  George Washington

http://www.fantagraphics.com/all-the-presidents/

It has been extraordinarily rewarding to watch Drew Friedman develop his technique and extend his expressive range in recent years. This new book contains some of his most perceptive character studies, certainly among the best he has ever done. They reveal new insights with repeated viewings.

Drew Friedman
26:  Theodore Roosevelt

http://www.fantagraphics.com/all-the-presidents/

Just to quibble, a word or two might be in order here regarding party designation. Republicans, of course, are members of the Republican Party—no confusion there. Democrats, on the other hand, are members of the Democratic Party, not the "Democrat Party." "Democrat Party," in fact, is meant as a slur and it has been spoken so frequently by Republicans in recent decades that we hardly notice it anymore. So, while Barack Obama is indeed a proud Democrat, his party's proper name is still the Democratic Party.

Drew Friedman
44:  Barack Obama

http://www.fantagraphics.com/all-the-presidents/

The following extraordinary presidential portraits are new to the internet. These higher-resolution images have been graciously provided to Attempted Bloggery by the artist:

Drew Friedman
6:  John Quincy Adams

Image courtesy of the artist

Drew Friedman
16:  Abraham Lincoln

Image courtesy of the artist

Drew Friedman
34:  Dwight Eisenhower

Image courtesy of the artist

Drew Friedman
44:  Barack Obama

Image courtesy of the artist

Drew Friedman's artistic process begins with a detailed preliminary pencil study:

Drew Friedman
Preliminary art
45:  Donald Trump

Image courtesy of the artist

After this he develops the finished portrait: 

Drew Friedman
45:  Donald Trump

Image courtesy of the artist

While Drew Friedman's New Yorker cover makes no secret of his interest in presidential portraiture, it uses a more fanciful approach than we see in the contents of this book.

Drew Friedman
The New Yorker, January 26, 2009

But wait, there's more! All the original artwork from All the Presidents will be exhibited at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at OSU along with over one-hundred of the artist's various presidential images from over the years, including the original Barack Obama inauguration New Yorker cover, above, and presidential ephemera from the artist's personal collection. The show opens on November 2 and will run through February 9, 2020. The official opening reception will be on Saturday the 16th of November when the artist will be giving a talk moderated by caricaturist and illustrator C. F. Payne.

Note:  The October 3rd event at Strand is preserved on YouTube here:

Video added October 18, 2019

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Drew Friedman

Presidents

Kurt Andersen

Attempted Bloggery's Unimpeachable Index

03047

Otto Soglow: W. C. Fields for President

Fields for President is a 1940 book by W. C. Fields with drawings by cartoonist Otto Soglow. The first edition with its original dust jacket is apparently hard to come by. A quick search reveals that later editions of this book are inexpensive and even ubiquitous. A paperback edition was published as recently as 2016. But this first edition is the one I'd want to have. Note how Soglow has rendered Fields's party affiliation by showing him atop a hybrid of the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant.

Fields for President
eBay Listing Retrieved July 5, 2019

https://www.ebay.com/itm/W-C-FIELDS-OTTO-SOGLOW-W-C-FIELDS-FOR-PRESIDENT-1stDJ-1940/113787698222?hash=item1a7e467c2e:g:LgsAAOSwHUlbnKjj

Fields for President
eBay Item Description

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Otto Soglow

The Presidency

Attempted Bloggery's Nonpartisan Index

02975

Donald Trump's 2014 Sketch for Wisconsin Honors

Last week reader jmodonoghue left a comment on the blog directing me to an auction of an original drawing by Donald Trump. I had chronicled a few of these drawings done for charity back in 2017 around the time of his Presidential Inauguration but I was unaware of this resale, which occurred in December of 2017. Back before his run for the Presidency, Donald Trump was in demand to provide original drawings to be offered at charity auctions and he often complied with the requests. From the sporadic examples I've seen, the artwork he contributed frequently became top sellers at these auctions. I would estimate his drawings generated well over $100,000 for various charities, perhaps quite more.

The drawing that was sold by Nate D. Sanders Auctions in December 2017 was created for Wisconsin Honors in 2014. The auction listing dutifully notes that it is a sketch of the New York skyline in winter. No doubt the absence of foliage suggested winter to whoever described this drawing. Sanders also notes the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. Long-time New Yorkers may wish to identify this bridge instead as the Queensboro Bridge (or the 59th Street Bridge) which connects Trump's native Queens to Manhattan.

Trump, who is not an artist, produced drawings for charity auctions that often outsold work contributed by more skilled draftsmen. It is obvious that he did not delegate these to anyone else. One reason for their success, no doubt was his celebrity, long-established in New York but made national by "The Apprentice." The other reason, I think, is that Trump's drawings are an excellent example of his uncanny skill at branding. By focusing on New York's skyline, he creates images that reinforce his reputation as a major real estate developer.

Donald Trump
Nate D. Sanders Auction Listing
December 14, 2017

https://natedsanders.com/donald_trump_signed_drawing_of_the_new_york_city_s-lot47922.aspx

Note:  Thanks to jmodonoghue for informing me of this sale.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Donald J. Trump

New York City

Attempted Bloggery's Wintry Brooklyn Index

02968

Donald Trump's 2005 Sketch for Pushing the Envelope to Support Literacy

An original 2005 sketch by Donald Trump features Trump Tower as a prominent landmark in the New York City skyline. The boldly-signed drawing's sale last week was picked up the news media and helped to create some buzz for Nate D. Sanders Auctions. For years, Mr. Trump's sketches for charity auctions were a win-win for both the then–real estate developer and the various charities he supported. The charities were only too pleased to have Trump's participation. A press release from Pitney Bowes, the sponsor of the "Pushing the Envelope" campaign to support literacy, listed Donald Trump first among the celebrities contributing drawings. Bidders, in turn, responded enthusiastically to his sketches.

Trump, for his part, did well too. He was able to participate in charity events at no financial cost to himself; he donated signed drawings that took a few minutes at most to create. Despite lacking any drawing skills to speak of, he was able to create signature works that effectively promoted both himself and his brand, not an easy thing for anyone. As might be expected, his election as President of the United States has increased interest in Trump memorabilia including drawings that are out there. This one had a minimum bid of $9,000 and sold on July 27th for $29,184.

Donald Trump
Nate D. Sanders Auction Listing
July 27, 2017

http://natedsanders.com/Donald_Trump_Signed_Drawing_of_the_New_York_City_S-LOT46814.aspx

Inside Edition

July 26, 2017

The auction house listing states this piece was "Originally drawn by Trump for a charity event, and very rare, with only a handful of such drawings known." That "handful," so far as I can tell, was identified through research done here on this very blog. In the blog archives there are three other drawings of the New York skyline by Mr. Trump, two on paper and one on a ceramic mask. There is also a tracing done by Trump of his own hand. Not that you asked, but it's quite large.

Note:  Look in the blog archives here for what may well be the most complete record of Donald Trump's drawings for charity events.

02263

Barney Tobey: George Washington Stopped Here

An old cliche is that every place George Washington ever stayed or ate or slept had a sign commemorating that momentous event. Cartoonist Barney Tobey takes a look at whether such historical markers have much practical significance to the ordinary visitor. His cartoon was published in Collier's circa July 1940 according to a notation on the art and was anthologized the following year in Collier's Collects Its Wits. It was listed at eBay for $129 but it has some obvious condition issues. A potential buyer offered $40 and the seller countered with $49, the sale price. Tobey's handwritten caption appears on the original under the mat along with production markings.

Enjoy Presidents' Day weekend!

"I don't care if Washington did stop here—this steak is tough."
Barney Tobey, original art, Collier's, c. July 1940
Collier's Collects Its Wits, 1941

"I don't care if Washington did stop here—this steak is tough."
Barney Tobey, framed original art, Collier's, c. July 1940
Collier's Collects Its Wits, 1941

Barney Tobey's signature

Detail

Detail

Barney Tobey
eBay Listing Ended February 4, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARNEY-TOBEY-ANTIQUE-AMERICAN-CARTOONIST-ORIGINAL-ILLUSTRATION-ART-DRAWING-/172427536433?hash=item28257b6831%3Ag%3AWKIAAOSwo4pYNlIi&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

eBay Item Description

"I don't care if Washington did stop here—this steak is tough."
Barney Tobey, original art, Collier's, c. July 1940
Collier's Collects Its Wits, 1941

January 19, 2021 Update:  The current owner of this piece has shown it in a recent wall rearrangement here.

Note:  New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson (1929-2017) has passed away. Old Attempted Bloggery posts that mention him may be seen here.


Quick Links to Attempted Bloggery's Archives
Barney Tobey
George Washington
Original Collier's Cartoon Art

Presidents' Day

James Stevenson (1929-2017)

02104